Some curious historians and journalists have written articles in publications like The Atlantic and Yale Alumni Magazine. Especially with such prominent members, they were always bound to attract the attention of knowledge-seekers determined to pierce the mystique. They’re called secret societies for a reason-they don’t exactly mount public relations efforts-but secrecy invites a special kind of scrutiny. John Kerry, George W.’s 2004 general election opponent, is also a member. Real-life Skull and Bones members include many of the country’s most influential politicians and businessmen at any given time, including Presidents William Howard Taft and, not coincidentally, both George H.W. The Skulls portrays its secret society rather sensationally, but it got the upper-crustiness right. The film captured enough of the public’s imagination to spawn a couple of direct-to-DVD sequels despite being panned by critics. The Skulls, released in 2000, was a fictional account of a young man’s descent into the creepy grips of one such exclusive membership organization, clearly modeled after Yale’s Skull and Bones club. Hollywood asked the same question around the turn of the century. What goes on behind the heavy, locked doors of their “tombs” scattered around campus, from which you’re unlikely to see anyone enter or exit?
Known, or at least imagined, for covert initiation rites, ultra-selective membership and close connections throughout the upper echelons of government and industry, Yale’s secret societies-clubs with lifelong members, and many notable public figures among them-have long been subjects of speculation.